A You Tube video suggests a mother used a taser on her children near the Madison County Courthouse. (The Huntsville Times photo/Dave Dieter)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- A video has surfaced on You Tube that suggests a mother is using a stun gun on her children in downtown Huntsville.

The video (Editor's note: The video includes brief profanity) was posted on August 2 and it appears to have been taken at least several months ago because the trees adjacent to the Madison County courthouse are bare.

The person taking the video offers narration as he sits on the sidewalk looking at a white car. Inside the car, according to the narrator, a mother is using a stun gun on her children. A buzzing sound can be heard at times during the video that could possibly be a Taser.

It's not clear in the video that someone is actually being tased.

"There are two scenarios," said Chris Newlin, executive director of the National Children's Advocacy Center in Huntsville. "One, (the video) is real and you have a person who is showing complete apathy for the well-being of a child and actually making light of the situation.

"The other scenario is it's harmless, there's nothing going on, no child abuse going on, but this person is recording it and making light of it and making jokes out of what's happening, suggesting child abuse is somewhat humorous.

"I don't know which one is worse."

Newlin said contacting the police would be the best response.

"I think the protection of children is the responsibility of all adults in our community," Newlin said. "All adults should feel a moral compunction to want to help kids in our community. Period. I'll take a stand."

But if you were sitting on a sidewalk and suspected a child was being hit with a Taser, what would you do?

(Editor's note: The video includes brief profanity.)

Updated today, August 8, 2012, at 5:45 p.m. with comments from Chris Newlin, executive director of the National Children's Advocacy Center in Huntsville.